CPSC Says Clip-On Chairs Pose Serious Risk to Children

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just issued a warning to consumers about some â€œmetooâ€ clip-on tabletop chairs, which were imported by phil&teds USA Inc., of Fort Collins, Colorado. The particular clip-on chairs put young children at risk of serious injury due to multiple safety hazards. CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the defective â€œmetooâ€ clip-on chairs immediately.

The involved, defective product is an infant/toddler chair with a nylon fabric seat and a metal frame that clamps on to tables using two metal vise clamps. The upper part of each clamp rests on the tabletop and has either a rubber clamp pad on its underside or a rubber boot covering it. The chair is sold in three fabric colors: Red, black, and navy.

The clip-on chairs affected by this warning do not have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar. The clip-on chairs that have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar are under evaluation.

The company has refused to agree to a national recall of its hazardous product that is acceptable to CPSC. The company has offered a repair kit consisting of rubber boots to place on the upper clamp grips of the chairs; however, it is important that consumers are aware that CPSC has not approved a repair kit for this product, despite the firmâ€™s prior statement that it was conducting a recall â€œin cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.â€

CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the affected â€œmetooâ€ chairs at this time to prevent risk of injury to children.

The affected â€œmetooâ€ chairs pose serious fall and amputation hazards to children placed in them. Children can suffer impact and head injuries when the chair detaches from the table and falls with them in the defective product. CPSC staff is aware of numerous incidents involving the affected metoo chairs.

CPSC staff has also determined that the clamps can detach from a variety of different table surfaces. Additionally, the chairs can detach when children move around or use their feet to push against other objects. CPSC staff also determined that the lack of adequate space between the horizontal metal bar at the front of the chair and the clamps can cause childrenâ€™s fingers to be severely pinched, lacerated, crushed, or amputated if caught between the bar and the clamp when the chair detaches.

In addition to these significant hazards with the affected clip-on chairs, the product packaging and instructions provide conflicting information. The productâ€™s packaging and marketing information show the product being used in ways that may lead to the chair detaching from the table; however, the productâ€™s instructions do not adequately warn against this type of use.

Tens of thousands of the affected â€œmetooâ€ chairs may have been distributed since May 2006 for roughly $50 through philandteds.com, Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Target, Toys R Us, other online retailers and a variety of independent juvenile specialty stores.